Black Friday shopping may not be what it once was in Colorado Springs. But lines, crowds still exist
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The slumping economy, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increase in online buying have gradually lessened the crush of shoppers at stores on Black Friday.
While lines of buyers failed to develop at traditional places such as Walmart and Best Buy, some lines formed outside Target, JC Penney, and Bass Pro.
At the Target near the intersection of Academy and Union boulevards, customers began lining up at 3 a.m. in 20-degree weather; the first 100 had coupons for highly coveted “swag bags” containing a variety of free merchandise and prizes for 10 of the coupon owners.
Target staff served snacks, allowed waiting customers inside to use the restrooms, and gave instructions on Black Friday protocol.
Around 200 people entered the store when the doors opened at 6 a.m., and there may have been just as many passers-by curious to see how long the line was.
The shopping crowd wasn’t huge, but likely more pleasant for customers, and staff expected more people to arrive later in the day.
Among the most popular gifts this season are Labubus — a line of Chinese collectible plush toys that have become a worldwide sensation and are described as loveable monsters.
However, they didn’t draw much interest from customers shopping at the above-mentioned Target on Friday.